Meta-analysis by combining parameter estimates: Simulated linkage studies

Several meta-analytic techniques have been developed for combining informat ion from multiple studies in contexts other than linkage detection. We appl y the technique of combining parameter estimates to the problem of finding disease loci in the simulated data and compare results with those obtained by reanalyzing pooled raw data. To facilitate the combination of study resu lts, we highly recommend that parameter estimates and their standard errors be reported in published studies. If different research groups were to mak e original data available, progress toward disease gene location and charac terization may be more quickly made. ((C)) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.